


Poker Face

by Apharine



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions
Genre: Banter, Established Relationship, F/M, Flirting, Implied Sexual Content, Listen these two are just really cute and Siane wants to learn how to play cards with Nanu, Poker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:28:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28278402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Apharine/pseuds/Apharine
Summary: While on a trip to the Thrifty Megamart, Siane gets an idea: what if she could learn to play cards like in those black-and-white movies she and Nanu watch together?  And, of course, who better to teach her than Nanu himself?If only she were good at poker.
Relationships: Kuchinashi | Nanu/Original Female Character(s), Kuchinashi | Nanu/Original Pokemon Trainer(s)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 8
Collections: AssuranceShipping (NanuxSiane) Fics





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [HybridDragoness](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HybridDragoness/gifts).



> MERRY CHRISTMAS TO MY DEAR FRIEND HYBRID!! Hybrid, it's been a wonderful year getting to know you and making memories and sharing OCxCanon ships and a love for Nanu with you. I'm so grateful we connected!
> 
> In case it's not obvious, Siane belongs to Hybrid, who you can find on Twitter, Tumblr, and Ao3 under the handle hybriddragoness. Her OC, Siane is used here with permission, and she's absolutely wonderful, so if you're not already familiar with her, please go check out Hybrid's work! <3

It starts, as so many things do, in the Thrifty Megamart.

If Siane’s honest with herself, though, it started long before that. It started the moment that she’d been curled up by Nanu’s side, watching some old black and white movies with him about mobsters and mafia. She can’t even remember what movie it was that planted the seed in her mind, but she can remember the vague idea of it - a handful of men, all in well-tailored suits, sitting around a table and playing some high-stakes card game, some occasionally taking long drags of cigars and slowly exhaling the smoke into the air. Behind the man the viewers were meant to root for stood a woman, wearing those gloves that go up the forearms and allowing her fingers to dip down far enough to gently stroke her man’s chest now and then.

So when Siane sees a literal pyramid, nearly as tall as she is, made entirely of decks of cards with a sign proclaiming that they’re buy one, get one free, she pauses, considering. She had asked Nanu if they had any cards a couple weeks ago, and he’d said no. A preliminary investigation of the house had turned up nothing, either. 

Siane shakes her head, trying to clear it. She doesn’t _need_ to learn to play cards. The Thrifty Megamarket has a way of suckering people in to buying things they don’t mean to, and she’s been learning, over the past few months, how to become immune to their wily ways.

But in the movie, the woman had eventually sat down, replacing her man - and then out-playing every other man at the table.

Wasn’t that - well - sexy? She can’t help but imagine Nanu’s intense red eyes across the table from her, locked in a battle of wits with her, and the thought sends a shiver down her spine.

He was very witty.

If she does jump on the offer, what could she do with the spare pack, she wonders? Perhaps she’s just being impulsive after all. But, she convinces herself, it’s only 100 Poke. There had been times, back on Aedis, where that had been a lot of money to have to her name. But things are different here; Nanu sometimes bought her meals that were more expensive than a year’s worth of groceries back home. The standard of living is just different here, and she shouldn’t have to agonize over whether to spend a meager 100 Poke for two card decks.

Besides, she decides, the spare pack can always go to Acerola to play Go Magikarp or something with.

With a small smile on her lips, she slips two packs into her shopping basket, and continues on her way. Her and Nanu’s weekly movie night with Acerola would be coming up in just three days, and they were clean out of ice cream - a problem which absolutely needed remedying, no matter the cost.

* * *

Nanu is approaching the tail end of his shift when Siane returns home.

She waves at him at the front desk, dealing with an old lady who seems to be talking an awful lot about something, and shoulders her groceries as she unlocks the gate dividing the front end of the Po Town Police Station from the back.

Nanu’s red eyes flit to her, and a smile crosses his lips for just a moment. If he had the chance, Siane knows, he’d give her a proper greeting - but that woman is still jabbering away, so it seems, for now, that duty calls.

Siane keeps moving, not wanting to distract Nanu from his job. The usual Meowth horde, it seems, have been confined to the residential side of the Police Station for today; when she lets herself into their living quarters, her suspicions are immediately confirmed as she’s mobbed with several mewling cats, all milling about her ankles.

“Back up, guys,” Siane laughs, trying to nudge the inquisitive felines back. A couple bold ones do their best to dart out the door, but she manages to close it without allowing any to escape. “These grocery bags are heavy, you know.”

On cue, Alpha, Nanu’s Persian, emerges from wherever she’d likely been napping, using her body to gently circle her younger wards away from Siane.

“Thanks, girl,” Siane smiles, managing to reach down to scratch behind Alpha’s ears for just a moment. Once in the kitchen, she sets her cotton market bags down and gets to work, putting everything away.

By the time she’s done, it’s nearly dinner time.

Well, she figures as she begins to pull out ingredients for a nice dish of Loco Moco, Nanu will likely end up manning the front end of the Police Station for a little bit longer than usual today. She’d heard that woman say something about wanting to file an official report, which will almost certainly take a bit of her partner’s time.

Besides, she figures, if she’s really going to ask Nanu to teach her how to play poker like a pro, she might as well make him one of his favorite dishes to say thanks in advance. Of course, the rare, dreamy way he couldn’t help but smile at her every time she made his favorite comfort food was pretty nice, too, and Siane can’t help but smile to herself as she thinks about it.

As tough as Nanu tries to be, he’s also incredibly cute, in his own unique way - and she’s grateful to be able to see it.

* * *

Within the hour, Siane has fed her Flying-type Pokemon, Nanu’s Meowth horde, and Nanu’s Pokemon, and has also whipped up two big plates of Loco Moco. 

And Nanu’s still not back yet.

If Siane knows anything about him by now, she’s sure he’s probably doing paperwork. She’s _also_ sure that paperwork can wait. The man needs to eat.

Balancing her plate and his, she pushes her way to the front of the Police Station, then into his private office. The door opens readily; Nanu is inside, as expected, sifting through a stack of forms with a pair of reading glasses perched on his nose. His red eyes glance up at her over the frames, then linger on her, flitting between her gaze and the food perched in her hands.

Reading glasses. That’s new, and he looks like the perfect blend of rogueish and bookish in them - but she decides not to say anything for now, instead taking a step towards him.

“Hey,” she smiles. “I’ve got some food for you. Think you can call it quits for the night?”

“Well,” Nanu says, arranging his papers and setting them off to the side. “I can for some of that Loco Moco. Twist my arm, why don’t you?”

Siane laughs, but nonetheless hands him his plate and fork, then grabs the spare chair on the other side of his desk and brings it around so she’ll be sitting next to him. 

“Twist your arm, indeed,” she smiles. As she goes to take her seat, though, something pokes her in her pocket.

The deck of cards. She’d almost forgotten.

Balancing her plate in one hand, Siane pulls out the cards with the other.

“Hey, by the way,” she says, waving them from side to side a little, then smacks them down on Nanu’s desk, sliding them over to him. “Look what I got at the Thrifty Megamart today.”

“Cards?” Nanu asks, pausing with his fork nearly to his mouth and quirking one of his dark eyebrows at her.

“Yeah,” Siane grins, aware that a certain light has come to her eyes. “I want you to teach me to play those card games that they play in those black and white movies we watch. You know - the games the mobsters are always playing with each other.”

Nanu, who has made the mistake of putting his food in his mouth, begins to cough and splutter.

“I - what?” He asks once he’s recovered, his eyebrow quirking even further.

“You know. Like poker, and blackjack, and whatever else you’ve said they’re playing,” she says readily.

Nanu looks at her evenly, the corners of his lips quirking up just the slightest bit.

“You’re never gonna stop surprising me, are you?” He asks.

“Hopefully not,” Siane laughs, sliding her chair close enough to Nanu’s to allow her to drape her thighs across his lap. Nanu’s lips part for a moment, and he shifts his plate and fork into one hand, freeing up his other hand to settle over her thigh protectively.

“Good. I wouldn’t have you any other way, babygirl,” he says, and Siane feels her heart soar.


	2. Chapter 2

A little while later, Siane is sitting at the kitchen table, across from Nanu, who levels her with an absolute deadpan gaze.

“Bet,” he says, sliding more Poke coins into the center of the table.

“So,” Siane frowns, staring at the three cards, apparently called a flop, in the middle of the table. “Now I can pull from the flop, if I like a card?”

“Yes,” Nanu says patiently.

“And then I either match your bet, or raise it?”

“Call or raise, yes,” Nanu nods. “Or fold.”

“Right,” Siane says, trying to remember the combinations of cards that are desirable in this game. There’s a lot - more than just three-of-a-kind - and even straights and flushes have different names depending on the type they are. Still, she realizes, she has a jack and a queen; couldn’t she just take the King on the table, then, and start working towards a royal flush? “Okay,” she decides, adding the king to her hand. “I’ll take this one, then, and, uh, raise?”

“You’re smiling like a fool,” Nanu observes, quirking one eyebrow at her.

“Oh,” Siane realizes, smoothing her face down. “Right. Gotta be serious.”

Nanu snorts, shaking his head. 

“Raise, huh?” He presses.

“Yeah,” Siane says, feeling impressed by her ability to refrain from blurting out what she thinks she’s got. If she can make it work, she’s guaranteed to win.

“You’re smiling again,” Nanu says sharply, and Siane groans, smoothing her expression over once more.

The rest of the game seems to go well enough, though, and Siane begins to get the hang of things - there’s a certain rhythm to the dealer burning a card, passing out the cards to the table, letting the betting happen, and turning over more cards on the flop. Nanu, naturally, acts as dealer throughout, his eyes - and expression - not revealing a single thing.

But, to Siane’s delight, she’s building her hand, and at the last minute, she’s got a royal flush.

Nanu’s going to be amazed by her skill, she just knows it.

They’ve gone back and forth a few times, matching and raising each other’s bets over the rounds, until the final round is upon them. Now, in the last moment, Nanu’s eyes narrow calculatingly.

“I raise you by everything in my pocket,” he says, sliding a thick stack of bills forward.

“Okay,” Siane says, furrowing her eyebrows and puffing her chest out a little. She literally can’t lose - not that Nanu can even imagine such a thing on her first game ever. “I match.”

“Then put the money on the table,” Nanu says.

“I don’t have it on me, but I match it anyway,” Siane tries.

Nanu snorts at this, leaning back in his seat.

“All right, if you insist. Doesn’t usually work like that, but I’ll let it slide,” he says. 

“Thanks,” Siane smiles, batting her eyelashes at him. To her surprise, his lips twitch in interest just a little; from what she can see, this is his only tell so far, and she’s not sure if it’s more in regards to his cards, or his interest in her.

“All right. It’s the showdown now, so it’s time to reveal hands. I’ll go first,” Nanu says, putting his hand down.

Siane frowns at the cards, taking a moment to recognize a full house - three of one kind, two of another. Her suspicion is confirmed when Nanu announces his hand as a full house, a slight smile spreading across his features.

“Your turn,” he adds.

“All right,” Siane grins, a devious smile of her own appearing as she smacks her cards down. “I,” she proclaims, more than eager for the big reveal, “have a royal flush.”

Nanu is silent for a moment - stunned, she figures.

“No, you don’t,” he returns evenly.

“Yes, I do,” Siane insists, suddenly flustered. How could he not see what she’s got? “I’ve got the king, queen, jack -”

“Babygirl,” Nanu says gently. “They have to all be of the same suit. You’ve got three different suits there on the table.”

This time, Siane is the one to be stunned for a moment.

“I - oh no,” she stammers. “R-really?”

“Yeah,” Nanu smiles. “Listen - don’t worry about it. You did good all the same. Not bad for a first game. We won’t count any of the betting as real, either, okay?”

“Yeah,” Siane breathes, frowning down at her cards.

“Hey, cheer up,” Nanu says gently, standing and walking around the table to her. He pecks her gently on the temple, wrapping his strong arms around her shoulders. “You did good. Even if your face shows everything - like your disappointment right now. This was just your first game. You’ll get better…and in the meanwhile, we just won’t have you go up against any real cardsharks, like Grimsley.”

“Right,” Siane agrees, leaning into Nanu’s chest. He’s so firm and reassuring against her; if there’s anyone she could be comfortable goofing up with, it’s him. “Right, you’re right. I can’t expect to have this all figured out on my first try.”

“Of course not,” Nanu says gently.

“So…another round?” Siane asks hopefully, and Nanu laughs.

“I was gonna ask you the same thing.”

* * *

Over the next two days, Siane does not improve at poker in the slightest. In fact, she arguably gets worse, somehow; Nanu sweeps her on nearly every game, and she ends up ‘owing’ him a lot - though he always waives the bet at the end, saying it didn’t really count for anything.

Finally, after their latest game, Nanu speaks up.

“The better you get at recognizing when you’re getting cards of the right suit, or cards in a row, the more your face is showing _everything_ ,” he frowns.

“I’m not even _smiling_ ,” Siane protests. She’s certain that she’s been doing a good job of keeping her lips straight, at the least. What else could Nanu be picking up on?

“No, but still, your eyes widen for about a half a second when you’re getting a full house,” Nanu explains. “If you’re getting something of a similar suit, you bite your lower lip or do this little thing with the corner of your mouth where you almost smile, but not quite. And your eyebrows always go down if you don’t like what’s in the flop, so I know to raise more and more each round.”

Siane sits in stunned silence for a moment; Alpha, Nanu’s Persian, sidles up beside her, setting her round face in her lap and purring soothingly. Siane pets Alpha absently, staring at the man across from her.

How had he managed to put all of that together?

“Okay,” Siane says, determination in her voice. “One more game, and if I’m still so easy to read, I’ll give up on poker…for now.”

“Sounds good,” Nanu says, gathering up the cards on the table and shuffling them together.

As Nanu begins the game, he can’t help but feel certain that not much would change; his partner would still be across the table from him, looking cute as always, her face contorting in her subtle tells. If he’s honest with himself, he actually enjoys playing poker with her not because he always wins - though that helps too - but because there’s very little in the world better than sitting across from such a lovely, beautiful, brilliant woman, getting to watch her adorable expressions as she tries to focus, and knowing that somehow, she’s _his_.

She trusted him to teach her these card games, to be patient with her through all her goof-ups, to take care of her and protect her and cherish her.

Nanu can think of no higher honor.

As the game begins, though, he soon realizes that something is… _different_.

Siane’s clearly trying to suppress her most obvious tells, though his trained eyes are still able to detect them. Most gamblers with any mettle would be able to see right through her - not to mention, count cards quicker than she can put together a game strategy.

But is it just him, or is there something in the way that she bats her eyelashes at him? Surely, she’s not batting them; he’s just getting tired, and probably a little horny, and he must be seeing things that aren’t really there.

And surely, he thinks, she’s not looking up at him with a coy expression; she must just have something really good.

Or really bad.

Is he genuinely getting confused by her womanly wiles? He urges himself to focus, and soon finds himself a clear head and a straight path forward.

And then, out of the blue, Siane’s foot finds his underneath the table. She plays footsie with him for a moment, not daring to make eye contact with him; then, she slides her foot teasingly up his calf.

Nanu sucks in a breath, his eyes finally locking with hers. There’s no mistaking the look on her face; she’s flirting with him, and Nanu feels his cock stir in his pants, beginning to harden at the thought of his woman, needy for him.

Fortunately, they’re upon the end of the game, and at the showdown, Nanu’s hand still beats hers.

Thank Arceus.

“I thought I had you this round for sure,” Siane sighs, sitting back in her chair. “You were getting so flustered.”

“What?” Nanu asks sharply; he knows he hasn’t been putting out any of his tells. He’d trained most of them down, ages ago, in his Interpol career. Surely, she’s just trying to get him off his game.

“You were blushing,” Siane smiles. “And you kept doing that thing were you look at my eyes, then my lips…”

Nanu huffs, sitting back in his seat, too.

“Well, babygirl, you’ve got me,” he admits, a smile spreading across his face. “Cards may not be your thing, but you sure can read me - and my interest in you - like a book.”

Siane shrugs and smiles, putting her cards down with a bit of a wistful look on her face. The expression pulls on Nanu’s heartstrings; he knows she had been so eager to pick this up….

“Hey,” he murmurs, standing and crossing around the table. He leans against it, bending down towards her, and tips her chin up to him gently. “Don’t be upset, Siane. Most of us don’t pick up poker within two or three days. You’re not doing that bad, all things considered.” He can’t help but brush his thumb across her lower lip gently; he wants, so badly, to have those lips of hers on his. “Maybe we could try a different game tomorrow, though. Blackjack or gin rummy. Or even crazy eights.”

“Oh, tomorrow?” Siane asks. “What about tonight?”

“I was hoping we could…switch gears tonight,” Nanu murmurs, leaning down and putting his mouth on Siane’s. Her lips are so soft, and the kiss is everything he’s been wanting from her.

Well, Nanu considers as he lets his free hand trail down to feel up the curves of her breasts, then her waist, maybe not _everything_.

“Do you want to take this to the bedroom?” Siane breathes, pulling away from him for a moment.

“Absolutely, babygirl,” Nanu murmurs back, then leans down and slides his hands under her hips, lifting her effortlessly.

His partner may not be talented at poker, but she certainly knows exactly how to turn him on.

* * *

The next day, Siane busies herself pulling out all the usual toppings - whipped cream, chocolate drizzle, rainbow sprinkles - getting ready for Acerola’s weekly visit. What would their weekends be, she considers, without Ace’s company, and a sundae bar and movie night to boot?

It’s not long after she gets everything out that Nanu and Ace step back into the living quarters.

“Auntie Siiii!” Acerola calls, rushing towards Siane and throwing her arms about her. Siane laughs, bending down and scooping her up. She’s getting harder and harder to pick up every month, it seems; she’s growing by leaps and bounds.

“Hey, there’s my favorite little girl,” Siane laughs, cuddling Acerola close. “And look at this, you even got Uncle Nanu to come back and end his shift a little early.”

“Uncle Nanu owes himself some time off,” the kahuna chuckles, moving over to put his arms around both Siane and Acerola. He pecks Acerola on the crown of her head, then kisses Siane on the cheek.

“Uncle Nanu, you always think you owe yourself time off,” Acerola laughs, but wraps her arms around Nanu’s neck instead, shifting into Nanu’s arms. Siane almost sighs in relief; she wouldn’t have been able to hold Acerola for much longer if she had tried.

As Nanu adjusts the girl in his arms, though, Ace catches sight of the remainder of their most recent game of Blackjack, still spread across the table, and her eyes widen.

“You guys didn’t tell me you’ve been playing cards lately!” She exclaims. “I love cards!”

“Oh, yeah?” Siane smiles, beginning to pull out bowls and spoons for everyone to make sundaes in. “What’s your favorite card game?”

“Go Magikarp,” Acerola replies readily, wiggling out of Nanu’s arms and taking a bowl from Siane. “Though Uncle Grimsley taught me some poker the last time he was in Alola. He said I was pretty good at it…but he didn’t know that I was using my ghost-type Pokemon to spy on his hand.”

“Ace,” Siane chides, though it’s half-hearted; she’s too busy trying not to laugh.

Nanu, for his part, is cracking up at the thought.

“You must have driven him insane,” he laughs, mussing Acerola’s hair fondly. “What I wouldn’t give to have seen the great Grimsley, gambler extraordinaire, outwitted by my favorite kiddo.”

Acerola positively beams at the moniker Nanu’s given her, already beginning to dish out a scoop of ice cream for herself.

“Yeah, he ended up owing me a whole meal at Sushi High Roller,” she declares. Siane’s head swims as she realizes how much she must have swindled the Elite Four member for. It’s no small feat, especially considering how well-known Grimsley is for being a good gambler. How had he let things get so out of hand? Ace pulls Siane out of her shock, though, asking, “Anyway, do you guys wanna play any Go Magikarp before we turn on the movie?”

“Um,” Siane says hesitantly.

“Don’t worry, Auntie, we won’t bet for anything,” Acerola adds with a wink.

Siane laughs, relaxing.

“All right, as long as you promise no betting - and no cheating, either,” she adds, taking the ice cream scoop from Acerola and beginning to serve herself.

“I promise,” Acerola agrees; behind her, Nanu smirks.

“Mini can see ghosts even when they’re invisible to our human eyes,” he reminds her, nodding over at his Absol, who turns to him from across the room, her piercing red eyes making his point for him. “So you better hold true to that promise.”

“Uncle Nanu,” Acerola pouts, pretending to be put out. “I wouldn’t promise if I didn’t mean it.”

“Fair enough, Ace,” he concedes. “Go Magikarp it is, in that case.” Then, he slides behind Siane as she begins to pour chocolate over her ice cream, wrapping one arm around her waist affectionately. “Actually, I’m glad you’ve brought it up. Auntie Siane might like that game more than some of the ones I’ve been trying to teach her,” he adds, sending a playful grin over to Siane.

“I would be offended if it weren’t for the fact that you’re probably right,” Siane says with a playful smile of her own. 

A short while later, as they sit down to a game of Go Magikarp, ice cream bowls in hand, Siane makes a mental note to herself to borrow at least one of Acerola’s Ghost-type Pokemon sometime. If she can get Nanu alone, without Mini in the room, and challenge him to a game of poker, it would make an excellent prank; possibly something to reserve for April Fool’s?

But soon, the thought is out of her head as she begins to play the familiar card game, laughing and teasing her friends and eating delicious ice cream sundaes.

Go Magikarp may be a child’s game, but having a family she can enjoy it with is worth more to her than being able to play any fancy card games like the movie stars - and she would never trade this little Alolan family for anything in the world.


End file.
